Rainforest Live '97 Journals from Queensland, Australia

  From the week ending May 9, 1997

Great Memories from the Rainforest
by Meg McKelvie

Feelings of excitement and sadness are the order of the week knowing that our time here is coming to an end. We are thrilled and relieved because we have managed to finish our directed research papers and have completed our case study final exams. It has been very satisfying to see how far we have come over this semester. We are now familiar with the plants and animals of the rainforest and we have the field experience that is necessary for our careers. On the other hand, we are very sad because we will be leaving the new friends we have made and the beautiful rainforest.

Thinking back on the time that I have spent here I realize how lucky I have been to be able to spend time getting hands-on experience in Australia. The things that I have learned here will take me far in life. I hope that I can take many of the things I have learned about conserving the environment with me and share it with my friends, family and community.

Along with the learning that has taken place, many fun things have also happened this semester. From playing Ping-Pong and volleyball games, to swimming at Mission Beach and Lake Eacham, looking for cassowaries, mud fighting at Toohey’s Creek, and helping plant trees for the reforestation of Toohey’s Creek Corridor.

We are going to make a real effort to stay in touch and are even hoping to have a reunion next year. The thought of leaving this magical place makes me sad but I am looking forward to my journey home.

 

Cyclone Center
by Danny McAvoy,
Student Affairs Manager, Faculty

During this semester at the Center for Rainforest Studies we have had run-ins with two unlikely cyclones! During the month of February we had a brief encounter with Cyclone Gillian. Gillian formed off the coast of Cairns and slowly started to drift our way. With winds of up to 160 km/hr near the center of the storm, she was classified as a category one cyclone. Fortunately for all of us, the storm eventually fizzled out before moving onto land. As a result, we received a lot of rain but not much wind.

In March, the weekend before we all left for our break, we had to evacuate all of the students and staff from the Center in order to avoid another cyclone. Cyclone Justin was a much greater threat than Cyclone Gillian and will be remembered as the cyclone who just wouldn't give up. After drifting away from Cairns and far out into the Coral Sea, the cyclone turned around, lined Cairns up in its sights, and made a beeline for the city, moving up to 500 km per day. After reports received on Friday indicated that the cyclone would be getting a little too close to the Center for comfort, the staff made the decision to evacuate to a safer area. The risk of damage to buildings (and anyone in them) from falling trees in high winds makes the center unsuitable for shelter during a cyclone. After a speedy but well organized pack-up, we abandoned the center after dinner on Friday night. Our 'safe-haven' was a large building at the racetrack of a small country town called Mt. Garnett, about 150 km southwest of the center, in an area not prone to cyclone damage.

At noon on Saturday Cyclone Justin crossed the coast at Cairn's northern beaches and moved up on to the Atherton Tablelands not far from where our center is based. The 120 to 150 km/hr winds brought down many small and large trees around the center, blocking off the access road, but otherwise caused very little damage. Very heavy and widespread rains associated with the cyclone closed most of the major roads in the region and left us stranded at Mt. Garnett for three nights waiting for river levels to drop back down. After several days we were finally able to return to the center, to everyone's relief!

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